During assembly, gas turbine engine vanes are typically inserted into position in their casing via a corresponding slot in an outer case and then slid radially-inwardly into place, such that the vane extends radially between the inner and outer cases. A wider portion at the end or root of the vane acts as a stop, which abuts against the outer case and holds the vane in the radially-inward direction. The vane may be held in the radially-outward direction using a belt surrounding the outer case and vanes.
Especially at the fan outer case, it may be desirable to provide a seal between the root of the vane and the casing slot, to reduce pressure loss. It is therefore known to use a grommet made of a resilient material around the vane root to provide such a seal. The fore and aft edges of the vanes are relatively sharp, and thus vanes having enlarged step or flange portions having a blunter shape have been used for receipt within the grommet. Improvements of these solutions remain sought, to further reduce weight and improve ease of manufacture.